Lalu to reach Ranchi tomorrow upon expiry of parole

RJD national president Lalu Prasad will leave for Ranchi tomorrow on the expiry of the three-day parole granted to him by prison authorities in the Jharkhand capital for attending the wedding of his elder son Tej Pratap Yadav, a close aide said here today.

The RJD supremo, who is serving sentences in a number of fodder scam cases, is also scheduled to complete formalities for availing a six-week provisional bail granted to him by the Jharkhand High Court last week for medical treatment.

"Lalu ji will leave for Ranchi tomorrow morning. We will try to get the formalities of bail competed as early as possible though it is unlikely before Tuesday.

"Once he secures bail and returns, a decision regarding his further treatment will be taken," RJD national general secretary and MLA Bhola Yadav, who had accompanied the party supremo on his flight from Ranchi to Patna on Thursday evening, told PTI.

The septuagenarian former Bihar chief minister, who suffers from diabetes, blood pressure, kidney problems and other ailments, had been serving his sentences at the RIMS hospital in Ranchi and was granted bail by the High Court on Friday on medical grounds.

He was also admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi, for several weeks from where he was brought back to RIMS earlier this month evoking strong protests from RJD members who alleged that their supremo was discharged at the instance of the NDA government at the Centre.

Meanwhile, hours after the solemnization of the marriage of his son, the RJD supremo enjoyed a feast of rice and fish curry at the house of Chandrika Rai, party MLA and father of his daughter-in-law Aishwarya. He was accompanied by a number of RJD leaders including national vice-president Shivanand Tiwari.

Feast of rice and fish curry is part of Bihari tradition of "Machhli Bhaat", wherein family members of the groom enjoy the meal at the house of the bride, a day after the marriage ceremony with the newly-weds in attendance.